Flush receptacle.



H HUBBELL. FLUSH'RECEPTACLEI APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17. 905;

Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

A TTOBNE Y I UNITED STATES HARVEY HUBBELL, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTIC UT.

.LUSH RECEITACLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented, Aug. 13, 1913..

Application filed June 17,1915. Serial No. 34,630.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY HUBBELL, a.

citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Flush Receptacles, of Which the following is a specification.

This invention, relates more especially to flush receptacles and has for its object to provide a device of this character comprising a body, a top block and a-base or adj ust- Inent plate which shall be so constructed that the top block may be removed without disturbing the base or adjustment plate, which for the purposes of this specification I will term the base plate, although it is shown in connection with the adjusting means described and claimed in my pending application, Serial N 0. 32,080, filed June 4, 1915. My present construction enables the operator to install the receptacle in an outlet box or wall with only the face plate removed and without attaching the wires and then, by removing the top block, to attach the wires to the binding screws, or when examination of the connections is required, it may be effected by simply renibving the face plate and the top block and without disturbing the base plate or the body. F urtheradvantages of my present construction are that it enables me to locate the binding screws at such a distance below the base plate as to render short circuiting impossible and to leave the binding screws covered by the top block.

WVith these and other objects in view, I

have devised the novel structure which I will now describe, referring to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specific ation and using reference characters to indicate the several parts.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a duplex receptacle with the face plate removed;

Fig. 2 an elevation with both face plate and top block removed;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section on the line indicated by 3 in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 4 a section on the line 1% in Fig. 2,

looking in the direction of the arrows, show- "ing the position of the binding screws and showing the top block in place;

Fig. 5 an end view; Fig. 6 a view of a single plug receptacle being a slight modification of the structure illustrated in F ig. 2, and Fig. 7 is a view ofa top block of the type employed with the structure of Fig. 6.

l0 denotes the body, 11 the top block and 12 the base plate. The top block is provided with a hub or hubs 13 provided with slots to receive knife blade contacts (not shown). The face plate specifically forms no portion of the present invention and is indicated by dotted lines only in Fig. 4:. The face plate may be secured to the base plate in any suitable inanner, as by screws or by means of spring attaching fingers which pass through openings 14 in the base plate, as in my pending applications, Serial No. 11,391, filed.

March l, 1915, and 61,923, filed November 17 1915. The base plate is made wide enough to overhang the recess for the device and is provided with a central opening 15 which receives the top block freely and perinits its convenient insertion or removal, the top block being secured to the body by screws 16. Integral with the base plate 12 at the openings 14 are struck-out lugs 14? which serve the same purpose as the corresponding lugs shown and described in my applications just above referred to in attach ing the said base plate to another part. At the ends of the base plate are inwardly extending flanges 17, the ends of which engage the top of the body, and extending from the flanges are. arms 18 havinganglc lugs '19 at their inner-ends, said lugs lying in recesses 20 in the ends ofthe body. The base plate is secured to the body byscrews 21 in the back of the body which engage the angle lugs. The device as a whole may be secured to an outlet box, a baseboard, or a Wall in any suitable manner, but preferably by the means described and claimed in my pending application Serial No. 32,080, filed June a, 1915, and which I have illustrated in this case. 22- denotes adjusting ears which lie in the recesses and are provided with shanks 28 which extend outward through slots 2% Jill in the flanges and arms oi. the base late and are secured to an outlet box, base card or shown) passing throughtacbing ears have been secured in place, the

' base piste is placed in engagemens with the by top block,

race of the baseboard or Wall and then the adjusting screws are turned inward to secure it place, it being understood or course that the adjusting ears do not necessarily lid in else same plane. The base plate and body mustlie @parallel with the face of the Wall, but it is immaterial Whether or notrecesses in a. Wall or baseboard for the attaching ears are or the same depth, or Whether an outlet box, if used, is set exactly parallel with the face of the Wall or baseboard or slightly obliquely thereto. v

28 denotes spring contacts adapted for engagement by knife blade contacts (not shown} and 29 binding screws. In the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to l inclusive, that is, in a duplerreceptacle, the. spring contacts are secured to opposite ends of connecting plates 30 secured to the body by screws 31, and the binding screvvs are placed interruediate the spring contacts on each plate. The form illustrated in Fig. ii, that is, a single plug receptacle, differs only in that 32 each carry a binding screw and one spring contact only. The advantages or the removable top block are ytlie same in bot 1 fornis. The Wires may be connected after the receptacle is installed, the connections may be examined at any time, the binding screws are placed at a safe distance below the face plate and the binding screws are always covered in use Having thus described my invention 1 claim: y

A device" of the character described. comprising a body, a base. plate secured thereto and shaped to overhangs Wall recess, said base plate having a central open-v ing, a removable top block of a size to be passed through said opening Without disturblng tbebase plate, and means for'de- Zacbably connecting said top block to said o .y.

d. A device of tube character described comprising a body, a base plate secured tliereto'and shaped to overhang a Wall recess, said base plate having a central open- 'ing and being provided Wlilll inwardly extended flanges engagingsaid body, a removable top block of a size to be passed -body, arms extending from aeraeee through said opening Without disturbing the base plate, and means for detachably connecting said top block to said body;

3. A device of the character described comprising a body, a base plate secured thereto and shaped to overhang a Wall recess, said base plate having a central opening, a removable top block of a size to be passed through said opening without dis turbing the base plate, means for detachably connecting said to block to said body, and means for adjusta ly supporting said base plate to permit the same to rest flat against the surface surrounding said well recess.

4. A device of the character described comprising a body, a base plate lying separated from the body and having an opening and inwardly extending flanges engaging the the flanges and slots in said arms and flanges, adjusting screws in said plate, adjusting ears on aged by said screws and provided with s anks passing through the slots and with attaching ears, and a removable top block adapted to be passed through the opening in the base plate and secured to the body.

5. A device of the character described comprising a body, a base plate lying Sena rated from the body and having an opening and inwardly extending flanges engaging the body, arms extending from said flanges and having angle lugs secured to the body, said arms and flanges being provided with slots, adg'usting screws in said plate, ad- 'usting ears engaged by said screws and pro vided with shanks passing through the slots and with attaching ears, and a removable top block adapted to be passed through the opening in the face plate and secured to the body. I

6. A device of the character described comprising a body, a base plate secured to said body and Wider than-the same to pro- 'ide Wall engaging portions, adjusting screws carried by said plate, adjusting ears engaging saidscrews to support said plate, said adjusting ears permittin adjustment to allow the flanges to rest against said Well, said base plate having a central opening, a removable top block of a size to be passed through said opening Without disturbing the base plate, and means for detachably connecting said top block to said body.

7, A device of the character described comprising a body having recesses in its ends, a base plate adapted to engage a Walland having flanges engaging the body, arms extending from the flanges and secured to the body, said flanges and arms being slot ted, adjusting ears lying Within the recesses and havlng shanks passin through the slots and rovided with attaching ears, adynsting screws engagmg the slate and the adjusting ears, and a removable top block of a size to be assed. through said is block adapted to be passed through the base opening Without distur ing the base plate, plate and secured to the body. means for detachably connecting said top 8. A device of the character described block to said body, and adjustable means for comprising a body, a base plate secured attaching said base plate to a Wall to per-- thereto and shaped to overhang a Wall remit thesame to lie iflat against said wall. 15 cess, said base plate having a central open- In testimony whereof I afiiri my signature.

ing and being provided with means for securing a face plate thereto, a removable top HARVEY HUBBELL, 

